


You Failed Spectacularly, Didn't You?

by TuckerPuppy (HarleyD)



Category: Misfits
Genre: Feelings of being a failure, Fluff, Gen, Hurt feelings, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Kelly, budding friendship, feelings and junk, friends don't make friends feel bad because they couldnt save them even though they really tried, how is that for a tag, mentions of canon death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-07-24 03:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7491879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarleyD/pseuds/TuckerPuppy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after episode 2.1, Nathan is busy wondering if Simon could beat him in a fight, while Simon is still struggling with the guilt that comes from failing to save him.  Kelly intervenes and Nathan tries to make Simon feel a bit better, in that Nathan sort of way.  He did tell Barry he would be his friend after all, it wouldn't kill him to start acting like it.  And even if it did kill him, he WAS immortal.</p><p>Some Simon comfort, and fluffy friendship type feelings.  Cause I'd like someone to make Simon feel better about stuff.  He looked so utterly destroyed when Nathan pointed out that he failed at saving him, I really wanted them to come back to that.  Also, Simon has really felt what it was like to fail his friends, and I think that would make a pretty big impact on his future decisions to .. oh... I dunno, become some sort of super hero that would save everyone.  :D</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Failed Spectacularly, Didn't You?

            Nathan knew he was staring at Simon, but he couldn’t seem to stop.  He wasn’t really worried about getting caught, Simon seemed to have a fairly good sense of when someone was looking at him and kept those eyes trained on the ground.

            It was kind of endearing and pathetic all at once.

            “What are ya doin?”

            His body tensed at Kelly next to him, but his gaze didn’t waver.  Finally Simon’s eyes darted up at him, wide and nervous before his gaze went back to the ground and Nathan shook his head, turning to Kelly.

            “When that mental was him we fought, kind of.  He’s pretty strong.  Do you think he realizes he could kick my arse if he wanted to?”

            Kelly didn’t look surprised by the line of thought and glanced at Simon before she looked back to Nathan and shrugged, “Nah, he doesn’t realize that.  He likes you too much to think it.”

            Hmm.  He wondered for a moment what it would take to push him into fighting him, just to see what would happen, but before the thought even went too far Kelly smacked him upside the head.  “Don’t even try it Nathan, you’ve already upset him enough, leave him alone.”

            “How did I upset him?”  He had called him names, sure, but he always did.  Barry didn’t mind.  He tried to go over the last day or so since he had come back, and nothing really stuck out. 

            “You told him he failed at saving you.  You didn’t see him after Nathan, he was as tore up about it as I was.”  Her mouth snapped shut like she was startled, like she hadn’t meant to say that, and she pushed on before he could dwell on it.  “He feels bad Nathan, and you made it worse.”

            “I was just taking the piss with him.”  He eyed Simon for a few more moments though, and that conversation when they were waiting for the mouse to come out came back.  When Simon had said he just wanted to be his friend, he had sounded so defenseless that Nathan hadn’t even been able to say something cutting back.  “I’ll talk to him, okay?”

            She punched his arm again, “Don’t wind him up!”

            “Ow, quit hitting me.”  He rubbed the spot, “I won’t.”

            He didn’t want to do it with her watching so he went back to scrubbing the paint off the walls, trying to make his mind blank so Kelly would leave him alone.

 

* * *

 

 

            It was lunch when he decided to take a look for Simon, and of course he found him sitting alone at the picnic table, staring down his sandwich.  He had his hand at his mouth though, and when Nathan got closer he could see Simon was touching the split lip, and just barely caught him glance off into the distance before he looked back down with his shoulders hunched.

            Nathan’s eyes followed where he had looked and saw Curtis sitting with Alisha, and let out a sigh as he noisily approached, dropping into the seat across from him.  “Hey Barry.”

            Big blue eyes looked up at him, wide and panicky, before they skittered to the side and he looked back down to his food.  Nathan rolled his eyes and reached out to grab a piece of his sandwich, snagging one of the perfectly cut fourths.  Simon didn’t try to stop him, didn’t even complain and he chewed on it while he watched the other boy.

            He tilted his head towards Curtis, “He got you good huh?”

            Simon’s body closed in even tighter than it usually was, his arms close to his sides, feet curled under the bench, but gave no answer.  Nathan watched him for a moment waiting, but when it was clear there was no answer forthcoming he opened the soda in his hand and took a long drink before he held it out. 

            It took a second for Simon to notice and he looked up at the can before darting the look to Nathan and back at the can.  “What are you doing?”

            “Offering you a sip of my drink.”  He waved the hand not holding the soda at the table, “You don’t have anything to drink.”  When Simon just kept staring at him he let out a long suffering sigh and stood up.  He only planned on moving to the other side of the table to make it easier to push the other boy, but the movement had Simon’s attention immediately and he spoke up in a voice that sounded panicked.

            “I’m sorry, please don’t leave.”

            Nathan paused where he was, halfway out of the seat, and slowly slid back in to it.  He had pulled his hand back but without saying anything reached it out, offering the soda again.

            Simon glanced at him first, like he couldn’t help it, before he reached for it.  When he took the can Nathan could actually feel him shaking, and he couldn’t have really been that bad to Barry, could he have been?

            He took a quick sip and handed it back, wiping across his mouth with his sleeve, and Nathan took the can back with a small grin.  After long seconds Simon pushed the plate forward slightly and looked down at the table.  Nathan took another fourth of the sandwich and the two of them sat in silence while they ate. 

 

* * *

 

            “I know you really did try to save me, yea?”

            It was the next day and they were outside painting the wall, and Nathan had taken the spot next to Simon, and had been subtly pushing him farther away from the others for the last hour or so.  Partially so they would have a bit more privacy, and also because it kind of amused him that every time he crowded into Simon’s space the other would so easily retreat.

            Big eyes were on him right away, and maybe it was just Nathan’s opinion but they looked almost misty. As they should.  “I’m sorry.  I tried.”

            The wobbly apology reminded him why he was doing this and he looked at the wall, at where he was painting, because really he knew that Simon was intimidated by direct attention and he was trying to do something nice.  For once.  “You don’t have to be, I know you tried.”

            “I failed.”

            “Yea, but that’s okay, you tried your best and I appreciate that man.”  He reached out one hand without looking and patted his shoulder, and noticed that Simon leaned into it the tiniest bit.  He looked away from the wall but Simon wasn’t looking at him, he was staring at his feet but there was a small smile on his face.  Despite himself it made Nathan’s mouth quirk, because yea, he didn’t always have to be a prick to Simon. And maybe, _maybe,_ it had made him feel good to be nice to him for once.

            He looked back at the wall but caught Kelly out of the corner of his eyes giving him a big grin, clearly mocking him for his thoughts and he threw her two fingers, aggravated that it didn’t even make the smile waver.  Instead he turned to look at Simon, waited until those pretty eyes looked up at him and snapped out, “You’re still a twat though.”  And with that he threw down his paint brush and stomped off.

            Simon watched him go, smile gone, and turned his attention to Kelly.  She only gave him a smile though, her voice soft, “Don’t worry about it, had nothing to do with you.”

            He tilted his head at that, unsure and muttered out, “Should I go after him?”

            “Ya, go on.”  Kelly gave him a soft nudge in the direction Nathan had gone, “Go see if he’s okay.”

            Simon still looked a little unsure but after another nudge from Kelly he nodded and followed the way that Nathan had gone.  Kelly grinned as she went back to work, she knew that Nathan probably wouldn’t appreciate her sending Simon after him, but it was good for both of them and she couldn’t help but take the piss out of Nathan a little bit.

 

* * *

 

            Simon found Nathan leaning against the building smoking a cigarette and even though he was sure he saw him the other didn’t react at all.  Simon hated that, it made him feel invisible even when he wasn’t, but he didn’t say anything.  He simply leaned against the wall next to him and nervously glanced at him from under his fringe.

            Just as he was about to give up and leave Nathan alone, he could only stand so much before he wanted to run, Nathan turned towards him as he stubbed out his cigarette.

            “You better save me next time, you got it Barry?”

            Simon nodded, because what else was he really going to say.  He looked down at his hands, at his shoes, anywhere but at Nathan but the silence kept going and eventually he looked up.  “I promise.”

            Nathan snorted at that and pushed off the wall.  “Come on, let’s get back before someone complains and we have to listen to that shit.”

            Simon was sure he hadn’t done anything but Nathan seemed better and when Nathan threw an arm around his shoulders to direct him back he didn’t pull away, simply let the other lead him.  He found himself smiling, the weight off his shoulders of failing to save Nathan gone for the first time since he fell, and he swore to himself he’d never fail his friends – not _any_ of them – ever again.  No matter what he had to do.


End file.
